There was Ryan Braun's full-out diving catch to rob Josh Hamilton with one out in the fourth and Josh Johnson's thankful reaction -- ultimately a huge play worth replaying many times. It is a time when normal league rivals are kindred spirits.

Mickey Mouse was everywhere here. There were 36 of him in larger-than-life statue likeness, positioned all around Southern California. He and Disneyland were host to part of the sixth annual Red Carpet Show presented by Chevy.

Hall of Famer Rod Carew was everywhere: He was there at the start to cut the tape for Friday's opening of the All-Star FanFest; there at the starting line to help send off runners for the All-Star Charity 5K & Fun Run; there in the lead truck as the parade grand marshal of the parade; there to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday night, and more than all of that. We love our legends.

The introduction of 30 more People All-Stars Among Us thanks to a lineup of presenting celebrities, and the moving reaction by many of the fans' winning choices as they shook hands with All-Star players at home plate in pregame festivities. The feeling when you realized that if these people can make a difference, then ...

Harsh reality intruding alongside the "Happiest Place on Earth." Waking up on two out of three mornings to glorious sunshine and spirits -- and greeted with mournful news that Yankees legends had passed away. On Sunday it was Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium, at age 99. On Tuesday it was his employer, legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, at age 80.

Lifting spirits was the All-Star Charity 5K and Fun Run sponsored by Sports Authority and Nike, benefiting Stand Up To Cancer, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Prostate Cancer Foundation and City of Hope. It drew a stunning field of more than 9,000 runners and raised more than $200,000 for those four charities, now a clear success as an All-Star Week fixture.

Jillian Michaels started all those runners, and supercharged them with a morning pep talk in her inimitable style. Other dignitaries were on hand, including Gabrielle Union; Hall of Famers Carew, Reggie Jackson and Paul Molitor; and past Angels legends Tim Salmon and Bobby Grich.

Facts and Figures from the 81st All-Star Game

78,000

Pounds of ice used in concessions

800

Gallons of ketchup

10

Roster changes since original announcement

33

First-time All-Stars

6

Number of pitches needed by Cliff Lee to retire the side in order in the fourth

45,408

Attendance for the game

64,036

Attendance for the 1989 game at Anaheim when it was multi-purpose

46,309

Attendance at the first game in Anaheim in 1967

85

Game-time temperature in sunny Southern California

9

Games Ichiro Suzuki has been AL leadoff hitter, one more than Rod Carew (AL) and Willie Mays (NL)

5

All-Star hitting streak for David Wright. He is 6-for-13

8

Number of times the All-Star Game has been scoreless through four innings

Number of father-son All-Star combinations. Nick Swisher joined his dad Steve (Cubs, 1976) in playing in the All-Star Game

9

Number of years since Andy Pettitte's last All-Star appearance. The longest between appearances was Bert Blyleven (1973 to 1985)

2:59

Time of game

The first gathering of the All-Stars Among Us came on Monday while player interview sessions were happening, and Tigers reliever Jose Valverde from Venezuela entered the room to be the first Major Leaguer to reach out and thank them all personally. "That's something I have to do," he said after posing with them in a group photo. "It's important to me to thank people who help their community that way."

Angels prospects Hank Conger and Michael Trout wowed the crowd and led the U.S. team to a 9-1 win over the World team in the popular XM All-Star Futures Game. It is an event that always becomes a pipeline to the Majors, and you will find many of those Futures players one day at this ultimate All-Star event.

Bryce Harper, Evan Longoria, Cal Ripken Jr. and so many more people made us love FanFest even more. The Anaheim Convention Center overflowed with great interactive exhibits like that base-stealing area, video games galore, contests, vendor paradise for memorabilia collectors, and of course the All-Star shopping action.

Salmon had everyone standing for a funny softball event on Sunday. After the Legends & Celebrities Game, he participated in a home run derby with Mike Piazza, and proceeded to go on a Corey Hart-like tear, crushing pitch after pitch -- and then bringing real fireworks. Next door at Disneyland, they were shooting their own nightly fireworks. This was amusement park paradise.

In the fifth inning of Tuesday's main event, Hong-Chih Kuo fielded a slow roller, wheeled and fired into right-field foul ground, allowing Evan Longoria to scamper to third and Joe Mauer to reach second. That brought up Robinson Cano, who drilled a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left, scoring Longoria and putting the AL on the board. It was memorable because it was the only run the AL would score at this year's All-Star Game.

How about Jennie Finch? She became the first woman to ever homer in the Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. And it was all about the long ball in that game. There were 12 total homers, and we got to watch Rickey Henderson do a fabulous home run trot that gets more fun the older he gets.

We'll remember all of the community work that stays as a lasting legacy for the Anaheim area. It was the Rebuild Together project on Saturday at Mary's Kitchen in Orange, Calif.

"Major League Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities, and I am pleased that we will make a significant difference in the lives of so many people by supporting these community projects," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "This will be one of the largest efforts in All-Star Week history, and we are grateful to our sponsors and partner organizations for their support as we give back to the community in a considerable way."

Those are the kinds of words fans will remember. Also these: "You can't live in the past." Jonathan Broxton said that after coming in for the ninth inning and saving the NL's first victory since 1996. We'll remember how he sat out there in the bullpen along with normal rival Brian Wilson of the Giants, just one of those unique scenes you see in the Midsummer Classic.

The All-Star Game comes once a year, and unlike past generations, a week makes a powerful impact and lets no one doubt that it was here. Next year it's Phoenix, then Kansas City in 2012, and no one knows beyond that other than the assurance that the greatest All-Star event of them all will always highlight our summer.

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Follow @MLB on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.